Video: Bridge collapses, oil tanker goes crashing into sea

Taipei - The incident took place hours after a typhoon swept across the area.

A towering bridge over a bay in eastern Taiwan collapsed on Tuesday, sending an oil tanker truck falling onto boats in the water below.

Interior minister Hsu Kuo-yung told reporters that about five people were feared to have been on the bridge when it collapsed. Ten people were sent to hospitals, six of them with serious injuries.

Fishing vessels were helping to search for the missing, Hsu told Formosa TV.

The bridge collapsed about 9.30am in Nanfangao, a tiny but often-crowded Pacific coast fishing village.

The weather at the time of the collapse was sunny, hours after a typhoon swept across parts of the island.

National Fire Agency spokesperson Su Hong-wei said the tanker's fall smashed three boats.

Typhoon Mitag had brought high winds and heavy rain to northern Taiwan on Monday night before curving north. Flights and ferry services had been canceled Monday.